Ep 337 - The Hustle Behind Flying Tigers Express

EPISODE INTRODUCTION

Shad de la Cruz, the co-founder and CEO of Flying Tigers Express, talks about his journey, from his humble beginnings in Bacolod to navigating the vibrant startup ecosystem in Cebu. He shares his evolution from a tech enthusiast to a leader in the logistics industry. After experiencing the highs and lows of startup life, including a challenging first venture, he found his calling in revolutionizing delivery services in the Philippines. Shad discusses the importance of solving real-world problems, building a solid team, and the relentless hustle that drives success. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a logistics aficionado, or someone looking for motivation in the face of adversity, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration you won't want to miss.

Episode Timeline: 

[00:03:20] - Shad's Hustle: Flying Tigers Express

[00:06:25] - Shad's Early Life and Exposure to Hustling

[00:09:18] - Moving to Cebu and Building a Network

[00:14:08] - The First Startup Experience and Lessons Learned

[00:22:26] - Overcoming Challenges and the Importance of Resilience

[00:26:01] - Joining Symph and Learning from Founders

[00:31:42] - The Google Experience and Developer Community Engagement

[00:41:46] - The Spenmo Journey and Internal Challenges

[00:48:01] - Returning to Symph, leading to the Birth of Flying Tigers

[00:55:01] - The Initial Growth of Flying Tigers Express

[01:02:36] - Flying Tiger Express' Cheat Code on Fulfillment

[01:06:45] - Sustaining Growth with Customer Trust

[01:13:07] - Securing Funding from Ideaspace

[01:16:38] - Second Chance as a CEO and Founder in 2025

[01:20:13] - Evolution in Shad's Leadership

[01:22:44] - Advice for Local Founders

“It has to be already an existing pain and validated and then it has to make sense. Because if it doesn't make sense, then there's no point for people to get your service... Don't strive for something really crazy, out of this world technology solution that doesn't even make sense yet for the Philippine market.”

-Shad de la Cruz

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadroi/ 

Website: https://www.flyingtigers.express/

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